This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present invention, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present invention. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
As will be appreciated, supplies of oil and natural gas have a profound effect on modern economies and civilizations. Devices and systems that depend on oil and natural gas are ubiquitous. For instance, oil and natural gas are used for fuel in a wide variety of vehicles, such as cars, airplanes, boats, and the like. Further, oil and natural gas are frequently used to heat homes during winter, to generate electricity, and to manufacture an astonishing array of everyday products.
In order to meet the demand for these resources, companies often spend a significant amount of time and money searching for and extracting oil, natural gas, and other subterranean resources from the earth. Particularly, once a desired resource is discovered below the surface of the earth, a fluid production system is often employed to access and extract the resource. These production systems may be located onshore or offshore depending on the location of a desired resource. Further, such systems include a wide array of components, such as valves and casing suspension devices, that control drilling or extraction operations.
In certain instances, resource extraction may be improved through the use of a device located in the production bore (i.e., a downhole device). For example, an operator may employ a submergible or submersible pump, which is an artificial-lift system that advances fluid from the subterranean reservoir to the surface. Submersible pumps generally require a motivation source, such as hydraulically-operated or electrically-operated motor, that drives the pumping mechanism. These motors are connected to a power source (e.g., hydraulic accumulators or electrical generators) located on the surface via a cabling system.
To access the downhole device, the cabling system may extend through or penetrate various wellhead components. For example, the cabling system is typically run through an auxiliary bore of a tubing hanger, and the auxiliary bore is parallel to the primary or production bore of the tubing hanger. As a result, the mouth of the production casing, which must accommodate both the production tubing and cabling system, is oversized. Indeed, when the production tubing and cabling system exit the tubing hanger parallel to one another, much of the real estate in the mouth the production casing (or casing hanger) is unused. Oversized casing strings are, of course, heavier and require more robust equipment for suspension, thus adding cost and installation time. Indeed, cost-related issues are of particular sensitivity for land-based low-pressure wells.
Various refinements of the features noted above may exist in relation to various aspects of the present invention. Further features may also be incorporated in these various aspects as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to one or more of the illustrated embodiments may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present invention alone or in any combination. Again, the brief summary presented above is intended only to familiarize the reader with certain aspects and contexts of the present invention without limitation to the claimed subject matter.